Sakay is our number one when it comes to food in Madagascar. It’s actually a condiment and one of many yummy food items we have tried in Madagascar. It’s something you have with every meal and we wanted to recreate it when back home. Preparing Sakay couldn’t be easier and it’s definitely worth trying. If you want to read something about our trip to Madagascar you can check out our travel guide!
One could say Sakay is Malagasy ketchup which is always present on a table in every eatery. Our guide used to compare Sakay to red sauce which has a little true because you use it as a condiment but it has far different ingredients. It’s a hot paste made from different kinds of chili, ginger and garlic. Color and spiciness differs hugely depending on a chef as well as sourness and general taste balance.
Malagasy cuisine is rather mild and there isn’t much spices used. Sakay gives you a possibility of pumping up your dish to your liking. For us it was a universal addition to almost every dish. When we decided to recreate it at home it actually worked with first attempt which is rarely a case. We should add Sakay isn’t only tasty but really healthy too.
Ingredients
4 small chili peppers (green, red or mix) with seeds
4 small pieces of garlic
Spoon of freshly grounded ginger
1 spoon of oil (we used rapeseed)
Salt
Juice from 1 small lemon
How to prepare sakay?
Chopped chilies with seeds, ginger and garlic and all other ingredients we put into blender and mix until smooth. You transfer it to a small jar and keep it in the fridge (in Madagascar it stays on the tables outside in scorching heat all day long), add to whatever you like!
From above ingredients you will have one tiny jar of paste.
